Archaeologies of Waste by Daniel Sosna
Waste represents a category of ‘things’, which is familiar and ubiquitous but rarely reflected in archaeological and cultural studies. Perception of waste changes over time and practices associated with waste vary. The ambiguity of waste challenges traditional archaeological approaches that take advantage of refuse to infer past behaviour. Recent developments in research in the social sciences and humanities indicate that waste offers many more dimensions for exploration. This interdisciplinary book brings together scholars who demonstrate the potential of research into waste for understanding humans, non-humans and their inter-relations. In 12 chapters the authors cover topics ranging from the relationship between waste and identity in early agricultural settlements to the perception of contemporary nuclear waste. Although archaeological approaches dominate the contributions, there are also chapters that represent the results of anthropological and historical research. The book is structured into three main sections that explore the relationship between waste and three domains of interest: value, social differentiation, and space. Archaeologies of Waste will interest archaeologists, anthropologists, historians and other readers intrigued by the potential of things, which were left behind, to shed light on social life.
We now live in an age where we find ourselves having to deal with floating islands of garbage the size of Texas and contemplating sending our trash to outer spaceThis makes Archaeologies of Waste a timely and much needed update to the growing body of literature on the cultural, economic, and political importance of refuse. Following in the footsteps of Rathje's Garbage Project, the editors have assembled a diverse set of innovative papers to help us understand the new and sophisticated ways that archaeology, sociocultural anthropology, and history, are forcing us to rethink the human universals of waste production and waste handling. This is a must for scholars and students interested in consumption, materiality, archaeology of the contemporary, and well, garbage. * University of Michigan *
Daniel Sosna is Assistant Professor of Anthropology at the University of West Bohemia, Czech Republic, and focuses on the research of contemporary waste. Lenka Brunclíková is a researcher at the University of West Bohemia, Czech Republic, and focuses on the research of contemporary waste.
| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9781785703270 |
| ISBN 10 | 1785703277 |
| Title | Archaeologies of Waste |
| Author | Daniel Sosna |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Oxbow Books |
| Year published | 2016-12-21 |
| Number of pages | 182 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |